Christa Steele
Experienced CEO, Public and
Private Company Board Director

Digital innovation and strong corporate governance have collided. These initiatives combined with a global recession, global pandemic, and enhanced emphasis on ESG (environmental, social and governance) awareness, have forced board directors to be better partners with management and up their game in corporate oversight.
Boardrooms are tasked with re-thinking the board member profile and committee structure in light of innovation and emerging transitional risks.
With seven years of for-profit public and private company board experience; Two successful business exits commanding premiums to market as a CEO and as Partner and Board Director; Four years of direct involvement in Big Data, Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain technology integration initiatives; Twenty years of leadership experience as CEO and other senior level positions; leading business transformation within a risk centric, highly regulated environment and with direct P&L oversight; I have never seen change occur as fast as change is occurring today.
This time in my life has forever changed how I think and how I problem solve for a pain point.
I understand the need for innovation, but I also appreciate the constant balancing act faced by management with regard to navigating a tough economic environment, changing consumer and business behavior, legacy systems and encumbered processes. Being up to date and educated on these initiatives allow for thought provoking and robust discussions in the boardroom and with management.
"Data is being aggregated at a speed it has never been aggregated before," Steele says. "We need to start thinking, 'How do we need to use data?"
Between the COVID-19 pandemic and the battle against systemic racism, boards have had plenty of challenges to focus on in the last few months. In turn, digital transformation and cyber risk are getting less air time in the boardroom—yet, these two topics have never been more important.
October 11, 2020
By Christa Steele
Anyone that's a sports enthusiast or a current or former athlete can appreciate the play that changes the momentum of the game. It's the play that sparks the 10-0 run and the roar of the crowd. It's the play that rallies the team and forces the timeout by the opposition to slow down the pace of the game.
As a former basketball player and swimmer who still considers myself an athlete, I often use sports analogies in business. At 46 years old, I am still highly competitive and make exercise part of my daily lifestyle. I'm an avid runner, swimmer, cyclist, and yogi who believes exercise is as much about mental health as it is about physical health.
I liken momentum to the human metabolism. A high metabolism gets increasingly difficult to maintain with age; it's equally as hard to maintain a constant state of momentum. Both metabolism and momentum require continuous effort and have unforeseen challenges. As an example, the metabolism must be constantly shocked to maintain as we get older. This means changing up the workout and maintaining a good diet. Often times, the biggest challenge to controlling the metabolism is our fork and what we put in our bodies.
Momentum in business can be equally challenged by unforeseen events and emerging trends, all while being stuck in the mindset of "this is how it's always been done," lacking innovation and a current strategy, and having a stagnant board or management team.
One notable emerging trend is the emphasis on how companies are responding to Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) matters. ESG has broadened the definition of the "stakeholder" in business. Private company key stakeholders, once viewed in large part as the ownership, now include its employees, the environment, sources of capital, customers, and the supply chain. A great example of a large private company embracing ESG and its stakeholders is Recology, headquartered in San Francisco. The 100-percent employee-owned company employs 4,000 employees and operates in three Western states. Recology issued its first sustainability report in 2019 with an emphasis on stewardship to produce zero waste, manage human capital, and strengthen corporate governance. The board has incorporated ESG into its governance committee structure and is engaged with management in evolving company reporting standards.
Quick tips to help you get started or evolve your ESG strategy:
Lastly, recognize ESG as a game-changer for corporate America—public and private companies alike. Ask yourself: What will cause the play that changes the course of your game? Is your company a sure win and up by 20 points, or is your company the one that needs to call a timeout to re-evaluate the play and turn the momentum in your favor?
"For a long time, it's always been, 'Be a fast follower' for the smaller institutions....This is not a time to be a fast follower. You'll get left behind." - Christa Steele
The future of the internet fueled by blockchain technology
CES 2020
Las Vegas Convention Center
January 7, 2020
Las Vegas, NV
Bridge the gap between the promise of Artificial Intelligence and utilization at your company.
NACD & Armanino LLP
Nasdaq Center
January 16, 2020
San Francisco, CA
Challenges faced by corporate directors in the new digital age and the changing trends of boardroom dynamics.
Corporate Directors Forum
Omni Hotel
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San Diego, CA
Board oversight shifts and what directors should be thinking about as board responsibilities expand
Financial Times
Agenda Education
January 24, 2020
Webcast
Developing the Right Artificial Intelligence Governance
Wall Street Journal
Conrad Hotel
March 31, 2020
New York, NY
The Role of Data in Reopening and Reinventing your Business
NACD Northern California
June 10, 2020
San Francisco, CA
The Future of Boardrooms
INSEAD & Odgers Berndtson
June 22, 2020
San Francisco, CA
Guest Lecturer
UC Berkeley
July 2020
Berkeley, CA
Leveraging the use of data during COVID
Diligent
July 23, 2020
New York, NY
The Future of Real Estate - Post COVID
NACD Northern California
August 18, 2020
San Francisco, CA
ESG from the lens of Institutional Investors and Shareholder Activism
NACD Northern California
October 1, 2020
San Francisco, CA
"There is no industry immune to disruption. Boardrooms and the C-suite must assimilate to change and disrupt themselves before becoming disrupted. This requires a pivot in mindset, away from just looking back over the last 90 days, to looking ahead and around the corner. Only then will you be able to establish the right KPIs and KRIs for your boardroom." - Christa Steele
NACD Northern California Chapter and PwC recently partnered to present a blockchain webcast - " What boards need to know about blockchain".
Presenters: Christa Steele and Manoj Kashyap
San Francisco, California 94104, United States
Copyright © 2018 Christa Steele - All Rights Reserved.
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